Ethan Cole - The Unlimited System

"The realm of Ascendants..."

The words hung in the air, thick with significance. A chill ran down Ethan's spine as the gravity of the revelation settled in. The term somehow triggered something within him.

Ethan thought about the Ascension Points he earned as rewards for completing missions.

'Ascension... Ascendants... This can't just be a coincidence,' he thought.

His mind raced, piecing together fragments of information, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead, he looked back at Mark, his expression steady.

"So… what exactly does it mean to become an Ascendant?" he asked, his voice calm despite the storm of thoughts swirling in his head. "I mean what's so special about reaching this realm?"

Mark and Maya exchanged a glance, and Ethan knew the answer would be anything but simple.

Maya leaned forward slightly, her piercing green eyes locking onto Ethan. "Being an Ascendant means everything for these people," she began, her tone measured and steady. "It's more than just strength or skill. It's a symbol of power. Of dominance."

She paused and then looked at Ethan closely. "Do you know about the old stories of kings, emperors, or rulers?"

Ethan nodded slowly. "I've read a few. Why?"

Maya's gaze didn't waver as she continued. "In ancient times, rulers didn't command respect and fear because of their empires' power alone. It wasn't just their technological advancements or their military might that made them feared."

"They themselves were already powerful. Really powerful." She leaned back slightly and spoke in a serious tone. "They could face armies of thousands alone and coming out as the victor."

Ethan's eyes widened as he listened to Maya. He had known about those feats, but all this time, they were treated merely as a legend. However, her tone suggested otherwise.

"I thought those were legends only," Ethan sighed.

"There are truth to many of those legends." Maya's voice softened but held an edge of conviction. "That's the kind of power being an Ascendant represents. And for those who understand its potential, it's a journey, one that brings them closer to what those ancient rulers once were."

Ethan tried his best to wrap his head around everything that had been told to him. When he really thought about it, the Unlimited System was something more unbelievable than what was being shared right now.

Maya tilted her head slightly and looked at Ethan with a steady gaze.

"Do you understand what this means now?" she asked, her voice calm but urgent. "Do you understand why the Ascendants were not someone that you can take lightly?"

Ethan nodded slowly, his expression serious. "I think I do."

Maya crossed her arms, leaning against the desk.

"Good," she said firmly. "Because this... this is what you... no. What we're up against right now."

Ethan took a deep breath and cleared his mind. He thought back to everything he had accomplished with the system—his strength, his skills, his abilities. He had thought he was becoming unstoppable.

'I thought I was strong enough,' Ethan thought to himself, his hands clenching into fists. 'But the truth is, there are people out there stronger and greater than me… even without the system.'

He realized something important. It was a clear reminder of the big difference between where he was and where he needed to be.

Ethan took a deep breath. He felt overwhelmed and knew he had to face the situation no matter what.

"What should I do now?" he asked, unsure. "How can I stand up to these people?"

Mark straightened, his tone calm but firm as he took over. "You need to train, Ethan. And not just any training, you need to push yourself to become a powerful Ascendant."

Ethan blinked, his brow furrowing as he processed Mark's words.

He glanced between Mark and Maya, his voice quieter but filled with disbelief. "Train? Become an Ascendant? Is it really that simple?"

Maya chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Simple? No. But maybe you don't realize it yet… you're already knocking on the door of that realm, Ethan."

Ethan was surprised. "What do you mean?"

Maya leaned forward slightly, her sharp eyes locked onto his. "What I mean is that you already have the foundation, the potential. You just need the right training and guidance to cross over and fully step into the realm of an Ascendant."

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Mark's expression was firm and resolute.

"We will start your training now," he said firmly, making it clear there was no room for discussion. "We will help you to become an Ascendant."

Without waiting for Ethan to reply, Mark turned and walked to the door with steady and purposeful steps. "Follow me."

Ethan paused for a moment and looked at Maya. She gave him a small nod to encourage him.

"Go," she said simply. "You've no other choice."

Ethan took a deep breath and followed Mark out of the study, his mind racing with both anticipation and apprehension.

The backyard was massive but it was private enough from prying eyes. Mark stood in the open space. He looked relaxed, but his eyes were sharp.

He had ordered the guards to be a few meters more than the normal perimeter to give them some space and privacy.

"Alright, Ethan," Mark said, his voice steady and strong. "I want you to come at me at your full power."

"Wait a minute... Are we going to fight?" Ethan hesitated for a moment. "Right here?"

He looked at Maya, who leaned against a nearby tree with her arms crossed.

Her intense gaze showed that backing out was not an option. "You heard him."

Ethan took a deep breath before nodding. "Alright," he responded.

Even though he sounded calm, he was actually nervous. 'Fighting against Mark? I saw how strong he was when he easily lifted Donald and jumped around yesterday. His strength is surely much higher than mine.'

Ethan looked at Mark again. He was wondering how much strength should he show here.

Mark stood still. He took a more relaxed defensive stance. He could leave his hands on his side, but he felt that was disrespectful.

"Don't hold back. I need to see what you're capable of," Mark said as if he was able to read Ethan's mind.

"Yeah. I don't think holding back is a good idea." Ethan chuckled as he quickly shifted into a ready stance, his mind racing.

He had unlocked skills like Krav Maga and Close Quarters Combat to the Master tiers through the system, and while the knowledge and techniques had been ingrained in him, he lacked real combat experience.

The only real fight he'd been in was against those two thugs, and yesterday against Donald's guard. However, those were nothing compared to this.

Mark was different. A trained soldier. A professional and based on what Maya and Mark's tone just now, they were clearly a powerful Ascendants as well.

Ethan steadied his breath and stepped forward.

He didn't waste time circling or showing off. That wasn't how he was trained by the system.

Instead, he closed the distance fast. He kept his movements to a minimum and without warning.

His lead punch went for Mark's chest. It was direct and sharp. A standard center-mass strike meant to test reaction and rhythm.

Mark shifted slightly, just enough for the punch to skim past his ribs.

Then he tilted his head.

"That was good," he said. "Clean execution. But you're leading with your best foot too early."

Ethan didn't answer. Or to be exact, he couldn't. He was too focused on testing his limits against Mark.

He launched a follow-up. A high elbow into a pivoting knee. The form was textbook. No wasted motion. Brutal if it landed.

'This time for sure,' Ethan thought confidently.

But Mark blocked the elbow with his forearm, caught the knee with a firm palm, and gently pushed Ethan back a step.

He didn't counterattack. He was reading.

And Ethan could feel it.

'He's not doing anything fast. He's… efficient. His movements are almost lazy, but they cancel mine completely.'

But that didn't stop Ethan from keep on attacking. He ducked low, dropped into a leg sweep.

Mark hopped over it smoothly, landing light on his feet. He deflected every attack with almost mechanical calmness. But his eyes narrowed, not with irritation, but interest.

'His transitions are clean. Fluid. That's not amateur instinct. That's mastery.' Mark wondered inwardly.

It was not Mark alone. Maya was wondering too many things about Ethan, too.

"I wonder where did he learn his martial arts. These are basically a combination of a few," she muttered.

Ethan came up again with a spinning backfist that turned into a palm strike mid-motion. A redirection, the kind that took years to master.

Mark was stunned but managed to caught his wrist mid-air.

"Nice feint."

Then he released Ethan with a shove.

"Thanks." Ethan didn't fall. He used the motion to roll sideways, land steady, and charge again.

A chain of strikes followed—two jabs, elbow to ribs, low kick to the shin, and a sudden lunge into a shoulder grab.

None of it landed.

"Why don't you hit me back?" Ethan was pissed a little.

It was so frustrating to not be able to land even a hit on Mark. What made it more frustrating was Mark chose to evade and block only. Ethan wanted to at least experience a hit from Mark.

Ethan started to increase the intensity of his attacks now. He couldn't land any attack yet but Mark had to move for real now.

He parried, blocked, and stepped off-line. And finally responded with a quick palm that tapped Ethan's chest, knocking him back.

It wasn't strong. It didn't hurt.

But it told Ethan one thing, Mark had barely started trying.

Ethan's chest rose and fell. Sweat beaded his forehead.

'I'm faster than I thought. I'm cleaner than I've ever been. But I still can't touch him.'

He moved again. This time, he didn't rely on any set form. He let his instincts guide him. A shifting rhythm. A sudden drop into a sweeping tackle. It was meant to off-balance and pin Mark.

But Mark caught him mid-motion, twisted Ethan's arm, and swept his legs in return.

Ethan hit the grass hard.

A flash of heat filled his chest. Not pain.

Frustration.

He exhaled sharp through his nose and pushed himself back to his feet.

Still breathing. Still moving. Still watching.

Mark raised a brow. "You're more stubborn than you look."

Ethan wiped the sweat from his brow. "I've had worse beatdowns."

There was a small pause before he charged one last time.

He sprinted, feinted a right, then flipped his footing for a brutal turning kick—close range, sharp angle. One of the few techniques even he hadn't used before.

Mark raised a single arm.

The kick struck it, and for the first time, the attack connected.

Not fully. But it landed.

Mark didn't flinch. But his eyes briefly lit with something new.

Recognition.

He stepped forward immediately after and stopped inches from Ethan.

Then, without flair, he flicked a straight palm against Ethan's chest. It was light, but placed perfectly.

Ethan stumbled back, dropped to one knee, then leaned onto his hand, gasping.

Mark walked forward and looked down at him.

"You're nowhere near strong yet," he said. "But you're dangerous."

Ethan met his eyes.

"And that… is a good start."

He offered a hand.

Ethan took it.

From the edge of the yard, Maya stood with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.

She said nothing but her mind was filled with too may questions.

But when Ethan glanced at her as he stood, she gave him the slightest nod.

Not approval.

Acknowledgement.

And for now… that was enough.